Cost and Time Overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs

Abstract

Cost and time overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) have become a high-profile problem attracting the interest of Congress, government and watchdog groups. According to the GAO, the 96 MDAPs from FY2008 collectively ran $296 billion over budget and were an average of 22 months behind schedule. President Obama's memo on government contracting of 4 March 2009 also highlighted this issue. This paper presents interim findings of research on the root causes of cost and schedule delays for MDAPs. This research is ongoing and will incorporate the 2010 SAR data. The final findings and policy recommendations will be presented at the May 2011 Naval Post Graduate School annual Acquisition Symposium.